The present disclosure relates to automated manufacturing and, more particularly, to the application of a uniform amount of lubricant, such as high temperature lubricant, to a surface, such as a fuser for an image forming apparatus.
Remanufacturing of technology assets is a growing industry that seeks to reduce the consumption of raw material and provide a lower cost alternative to newly-built products. One area of technology where remanufacturing has taken hold is in the printer consumables industry, where used toner cartridges, ink cartridges, printer ribbon cartridges, and the like are collected, sorted, cleaned, disassembled, and reconstructed using a combination of previously used parts and new replacement parts, and refilled with toner, ink, or printer ribbon, as the case may be.
In addition to the remanufacturing of cartridges, certain components within a printer, such as the fuser of a laser printer, may become spent over time but, instead of being replaced, it may be possible to remanufacture the fuser and make it suitable for continued use by disassembling, cleaning, and replacing certain components. As part of the remanufacturing process, the fuser heating element typically is cleaned. To return the heating element to service, a specially formulated high temperature lubricant is applied to the surface of the heating element. Traditional remanufacturing techniques have applied the lubricant by extruding it through an orifice and applying a bead of lubricant to the heating element surface. The bead is then spread over the surface of the heating element using a flexible blade, such as a spatula, or using a finger to coat the entire surface with a film of lubricant.